2016: A year that will go down as a future vintage for all strands of bass music. Especially dubstep, a genre that’s cheerily returned to its zero-f**ks-given attitude it was founded on. Creativity is high, cynicism is low. The mixdown war isn’t quite so loud as it has been as the scene’s protagonists old and new search for both innovation, freshness and that original vibes foundation we’ve been missing for a while.
The perfect time, then, to celebrate the new league of talent who’ve dominated the last 12 months. The next generation to fly the dubstep flag and push it into new directions. Say hello to Krimer, MurDa, PhaseOne, Phiso, and Stabby.
Gradually positioning themselves at the forefront of the bass music movement, these fellas are absolutely ready to let their abilities shine through at the highest level. You can take our advice now, or tell us we’re right later, it doesn’t make a difference. Dubstep is about to go places it’s never gone before, and you can thank these lads for that.
Get to know Dubstep’s Next Generation…
Krimer
Meet Simon, A.K.A Montreal-based producer, skater, and until he quit to fully pro on the music, crane operator Krimer.
His passion for dubstep was love at first sight when he first heard Oskillatah by Skream. As his collection developed with the likes of Benga, Borgore, Coki, Rusko, Funtcase, Datsik and loads more, his eagerness to produce continued to grow. His journey began in late 2013 and has since seen him release on the most notable labels in the game: Disciple, Firepower, and Never Say Die.
Which three original songs would you recommend to a first-time listener?
Bone Crusher (Firepower)
You can really hear the hip-hop influence throughout the track with an easy/catchy melody.
Blow Up (Never Say Die Black Label)
My most popular track to date. Really proud of this one.
Forces (Never Say Die Black Label)
My personal favourite! It’s a super energetic track from my Blow Up EP
Which person’s support has surprised/shocked you the most?
Tough question. I’ve always been a big fan of Excision. So when he reached out to me for some of my tunes, I just couldn’t believe it. I could say the same for Downlink and FuntCase. They were – and still are – a big inspiration for me.
If you could travel back in time a couple years and give yourself some essential productions tips, what would be your top suggestions?
Check your mixdown in mono. So many phase problems can occur and it’s really good to check the width of the mix. Don’t be scared to experiment, be confident in your own creativity and be proud of your product because music is a reflection of who you are.
What elements make your signature sound unique?
I build my own wavetable and presets. It’s easy to sit in front of a computer and use all the factory presets but it won’t make your track stand out. I enjoyed the high-pitched sound with a deep tone in it and I built around that. I guess I just make music the way I would want to hear it.
What’s next?
Plenty of new music on the way soon! Lots of remixes and collabs are already in progress. I’m also working on my next EP as well, but that’s about all the information I can give you.
Follow Krimer: Facebook / Soundcloud
MurDa
Sweet murderation: MurDa is known more conventionally as Tommy. He’s 18 years old and calls Southampton UK his home. First appearing on the scene under the alias of ExRay a few years back, he has transformed musically and technically into something much sharper and direct.
Schooled by Samplifire and many other major league peers on his mixdowns and inspired by the likes of Hans Zimmer, MurDa’s dramatic, evocative sound has come our way on Prime Audio, Blacklight Audio, Kinphonic and a heavily-subscribed Soundcloud account. With a penchant for turbo choppers and nothing but youth on his side, MurDa will surely be racking up the body count for a long time to come…
Which three original songs would you recommend to a first-time listener?
No Mans Land (Bandcamp)
This tune has the best stats I have ever received. I had honestly never made sounds like these before.
The Watermark Song (Soundcloud)
https://soundcloud.com/murdadubz/the-watermark-song
This is definitely one of my most unique originals, as I actually used my watermark as the theme of the tune. I don’t think this has been done before.
Eradicate (Blacklight Audio)
https://soundcloud.com/murdadubz/eradicate
This tune has one of the weirdest flows I’ve designed so far. I’ve been told that it’s hard to read.
Which person’s support has surprised/shocked you the most?
My biggest inspiration to start making music was xKore. To actually release a track on his label Kinphonic was a huge personal achievement. I’ve recently had my tunes played out by the likes of Excision, 12th Planet, and D-Jahsta to name a few, all of which are producers that I’ve been a massive fan of since the beginning. Just the fact that they know of me is an absolute honor.
If you could travel back in time a couple years and give yourself some essential productions tips, what would be your top suggestions?
One tip would be to use soft clippers! A lot of producers have started to use it now and it’s changed my mixdown to something I can finally be happy with. There are also some things I don’t do now but would like to include in more of my future productions, such as adding more to build-ups and using more samples. A perfect example of someone who aces this technique is Midnight Tyrannosaurus. I have focused on sound design and mixdowns for so long now that I have neglected other elements I could be adding to a track. So definitely look out for that in future.
What elements make your signature sound unique?
Some people recognise me for the “really fast helicopter” sounds. Just a little nickname I came up with for it. If I’m being honest, I had heard a very similar sound before and I thought to myself, ‘what would it sound like if I used this sound in my tracks more frequently?’ The response was great, so I just continued doing more tracks with more variation. Another element that helps create my personal sound is a small amount of detune. I wouldn’t say it’s a signature, as many other producers do this as well, but without it, my sound design wouldn’t be nearly the same.
What’s next?
I cannot say too much at the moment, but a lot of music is being made in the lab. I’ve also got some wicked collaborations in the works. I have an Australian tour coming up in October and a bunch more shows in the following months. Also, I’ve uploaded most of my tunes to SoundCloud in the past, but now I’m uploading my music to Youtube as well. So there’s plenty of places to find it!
Follow MurDa: Facebook / Soundcloud
PhaseOne
Trained on the guitar, keys, and drums, Australian artist PhaseOne has been creating music in some form or another all his life… and Graeme’s about to go full-time and give up the day job to make sure it stays part of his life forever.
Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Canada have all been treated to PhaseOne’s heavyweight, rock-ravaged designs. Oh yeah, and did we mention that he’s set to make his USA debut tour later this year. With full Firepower backing, a zero-fuck attitude to trends, and a fair few UKF uploads to his name, PhaseOne is at the very forefront of dubstep’s next generation.
Which three original songs would you recommend to a first-time listener?
Six Feet Under (Original & VIP) (Firepower)
It’s probably one of my most well-known productions and sums me up pretty well, showing off my metal roots combined with my current love for bass music.
Extinction (Firepower)
Just because it’s one of my favourite pieces to have worked on, I’m a big fan of epic intros with heavy parts and super melodic sections.
Why They Need Us (Firepower)
My original collaboration with BAR9. It was an honor to work with them and I just can’t think of anything else that sounds like it.
Which person’s support has surprised/shocked you the most?
I don’t have any real interesting stories off the top of my head, but the biggest thing that stands out to me was when Skrillex was dropping one of my tunes on the regular. That was definitely a bit mind-blowing at first.
If you could travel back in time a couple years and give yourself some essential productions tips, what would be your top suggestions?
I really just wish that I had started producing electronic music earlier in life. I’d always been into the production aspect, but yeah, I kind of wish I was on the rise during the “dubstep golden days,” so to speak.
What elements make your signature sound unique?
I think what makes my sound unique is the metal and rock influences in my productions. I use a lot of guitar, metal drums, and vocals combined with electronic dubstep. These elements all define my signature sound.
I feel like a lot of electronic dance music nowadays is very trend-based and the majority of people will only listen to what is “cool” at the time. Having come from a band background, it’s quite the opposite. Those fans are much more dedicated to a band or a certain sound and style. That being said, my followers are a very dedicated bunch, probably because I’ve developed my own sound and just do what I want to do without paying too much attention to trends.
What’s next?
Well, you can keep an eye out for me on the Excision tour in Australia this December. In regards to forthcoming music, I’m currently working on a new EP that is due out early next year, but that’s about all I can say right now.
Follow PhaseOne: Facebook / Soundcloud
Phiso
Inspired by a wide range of music – from classic to jazz to metal – Robert fell into dubstep through FL tutorials about five years ago. What began as an interest soon became an addiction that has led to releases on the likes of Never Say Die, Firepower, Rottun, SMOG, and Disciple.
Intrigued by the sonic breadth of dubstep – but turned off by many people’s insistency of pigeonholing – Phiso is a proud fusionist who should release music far more regularly than he does right now. Case in point: his latest bone-bruising collaboration with Aweminus, titled Hijinks. You probably know him as that Jotaro guy, but around here we call him the next big thing.
Which three original songs would you recommend to a first-time listener?
Malevolent (Disciple)
This is the sort of thing someone can come to expect from me.
Sector 8 (Soundcloud)
It’s one of my personal favourite tracks and I kind of wish it got more attention.
Jotaro (SMOG)
It seems to be what I’m most known for, and it wouldn’t be very fair to keep someone who’s just learning of me in the dark about it.
Which person’s support has surprised/shocked you the most?
That award would have to go to Getter following me back in the day. At that point in time getting recognized by anyone was not something I was expecting to happen at all, so you can imagine how I felt. Lately, the biggest surprise has been Doctor P following me on Twitter. That was very nice to see to say the least.
If you could travel back in time a couple years and give yourself some essential productions tips, what would be your top suggestions?
One thing I’ve come to understand about myself is that I seem to prefer doing things the hard way whenever possible. I think that in doing so, resulting memories become more precious and the payoff feels much more rewarding.
So if I had the opportunity to travel back in time, I’m more apt to motivate my younger self than anything else. I’m not the most confident person in the world, so I could’ve used the encouragement. But if I absolutely had to give myself a tip? Don’t let numbers dictate how you produce…. Getting hung up about the specific volume of individual mixer tracks caused me to waste time unnecessarily when things already sounded good enough. Unless you’re making specific sounds with FM/RM or something, do things by ear before worrying about specifics.
What elements make your signature sound unique?
I wish I knew that myself. What I know for sure is that I use new sounds in each track to always keep things a surprise. While there are many producers that have one style and are successful with it, I think it’s pretty natural that people would be drawn to someone who’s constantly trying new things – even if it’s mostly in the scope of dubstep.
What’s next?
You may see a remix or two from me over the coming months. I’m also working on setting up some more live shows, but it’s difficult to say much about that yet though.
Follow Phiso: Facebook / Soundcloud
Stabby
North UK musician with sounds as sharp as his name suggests, Stabby was initially schooled by a teenage soundtrack of Skrillex. Swiftly rising up the ranks with a sinewy, well-chiselled sound via free downloads and Bandcamp self-releases, 21-year-old Stabby is properly equipped to demolish dancefloors all the way to the top. Prominent labels have recently been stepping forward and forcefully throwing their backing behind this promising young all-star, and we think it’s about time.
To his close friends he goes by Dean, but to us, he’s pure Stabby.
Which original songs would you recommend to a first-time listener?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHaQQVu8j7w
These tracks showcase my emphasis on production quality and techniques, as well as compositional techniques. Not to mention my method of writing melodies and chords. Which, at least in my own humble opinion, I think is very odd and different from just about everyone else.
Which person’s support has surprised/shocked you the most?
OmegaMode. I had been listening to, and have been a fan of his stuff, before I even started producing and it’s crazy that I can now call him one of my best friends. I can’t even begin to imagine where I’d be without all his help, and I’m not only talking production either, but with basically everything. I cannot appreciate the dude enough.
If you could travel back in time a couple years and give yourself some essential productions tips, what would be your top suggestions?
My first step would be to teach myself to learn proper EQing. I would also want to master the four basic effects – reverb, delay, dynamics (compressors) and distortion – as fast as possible. The whole genre of dubstep is about distortion and how you go about doing it.
What elements make your signature sound unique?
Like I mentioned earlier, a lot of my sound has to do with how I go about with distortion. But I think the other signature element to my music is the way I use my drums, and I’m incredibly proud of them – more so than anything else. Additionally, it helps me to create my own elements from the ground up, which is why I spend hours upon hours synthesising kicks, snares, and even hi-hats. My thought process is that if you’re going to be hearing the kick and snare every .70 seconds at 150 BPM, they had better sound crystal clear.
What’s next?
Lots of developments lately, including my brand new remix of Jaguar on Never Say Die: Black Label XXL, as well as another single on the same compilation. I have a few upcoming freebies to distribute and I’ve already completed another EP that’s coming out sometime during October. I can’t talk too much about that release, but I am so very excited with this body of work.
Follow Stabby: Facebook / Soundcloud
